Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe
Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe (15 May 1781 - 17 March 1851) was an Scottish poet, artist, and antiquary. Life Sharpe was born 15 May 1781 at Hoddam, Dumfriesshire. He was the second son of Charles Sharpe of Hoddam, by Eleonora, youngest daughter of John Renton of Lamerton. The elder Charles Sharpe was the son of William Kirkpatrick of Ailsland (brother of Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, second baronet of Closeburn), who changed his name to Sharpe on inheriting the estate of Hoddam from his uncle, Matthew Sharpe. To him Burns, under the signature ‘Johnny Faa,’ had addressed a curious letter, humorously claiming to belong to "the same family," not on the ground of relationship, but on the score of being "a fiddler and a poet;" and enclosing some stanzas to a tune of his which he said "a brither catgut" gave him "the other day."Henderson, 420. While Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe could claim an ancestry of some distinction, intellectual and other, he was also from his infancy nourished on Jacobite story and tradition; and this phase of Scottish sentiment occupied most of his interest, and mainly directed the bent of his artistic studies and his antiquarian research. With the view of taking episcopal orders, Sharpe entered Christ Church, Oxford, earning a B.A. 17 June 1802, and an M.A. 28 June 1806. But, although he made several friendships, the social life and special studies of the university were uncongenial to him. In truth his attitude towards his fellows was always more or less repellent; he was unsympathetic and depreciatory, and from first to last he was accustomed to emphasise and magnify the frailties of his acquaintances, and all but ignore their good points. At the university he devoted himself chiefly to antiquarian research and to practice with his pencil, making some reputation by his sketches of heads. Either before or soon after leaving the university he gave up all thoughts of entering the church, and finally, about his 30th year, he took up his residence in Edinburgh, where, although he maintained friendly relations with many distinguished persons, including especially clever and sprightly aristocratic ladies, and was a welcome guest in many country houses, he lived mainly the life of a literary recluse. With advancing years his peculiarities became more pronounced, and they were emphasised by the fact that till the close of his life he retained the style of dress which was in fashion at the period of his early manhood. The appearance of the first volume of Scott's Border Minstrelsy in 1802 naturally aroused Sharpe's special enthusiasm. Though unacquainted with Scott, he sent him a warm letter of congratulation, which led to a lifelong friendship; and to the second volume of the Minstrelsy he contributed two ballads of his own.Henderson, 421. Sharpe and Scott shared a common interest in “auld nick-nackets:” ballads, witchcraft trials, armories and stories of the past; and exchanged books, duplicates of old pamphlets, and rare publications. Scott would consult Sharpe on questions of genealogies and antiquarianisms.Sir Walter Scott’s Friends: Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Scotiana. Web, Nov. 15, 2016. In 1807 Sharpe published at Oxford Metrical Legends, and other poems; but, as Scott remarks, "as a poet he has not a strong touch." As an artist he showed much greater talent. Scott affirmed "that had he made drawing a resource it might have raised him a large income;" but he can scarcely be reckoned more than a skilful amateur. In drawing, his main forte was apparently satirical, or rather perhaps grotesque, caricature. His efforts were described by Scott as the "most fanciful and droll imaginable, a mixture between Hogarth and some of those foreign masters who painted temptations of St. Anthony and other grotesque subjects." Sharpe's frontispieces and other illustrations in the Bannatyne Club and similar antiquarian publications evince much antiquarian knowledge. He possessed an unrivalled collection of Scottish curios and antiques; and Sir Walter was frequently and much indebted to his proficiency in this and kindred branches of antiquarian lore. He was moreover specially learned in Scottish genealogy, especially in its scandalous aspect, having carefully gleaned and preserved every fact or anecdote of this character that he could discover in books, manuscripts, or tradition. In 1817 Sharpe edited Kirkton's Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Year 1678, with an Account of the Murder of Archbishop Sharpe, by James Russell, an Actor therein. To the volume he supplied a large number of notes which, if they breathe rather the spirit of the partisan than the conscientious historian, display much learning. This was followed in 1820 by an edition of Law's Memorialls; or the considerable Things that fell out within the Island of Great Britain from 1638 to 1684, containing much curious information regarding witchcraft and kindred subjects. In 1823 he published his Ballad Book, which in 1880 was re-edited by David Laing, with some additions from Sharpe's manuscripts; the majority of the added ballads were of more or less questionable authenticity. Sharpe, though he dabbled a good deal in this species of literature, and collected printed chaps and broadsides, as well as manuscripts from "recitation," only possessed a fragmentary knowledge of the subject. To Laing's edition of Stenhouse's notes to Johnson's Musical Museum, 1853, he made some contributions. In 1827 he edited A Part of the Life of Lady Margaret Cunninghame, daughter of the Earl of Glencairn, that she had with her first Husband, the Earl of Evandale; in 1828 (for the Bannatyne Club), The Letters of Archibald, Earl of Argyle; and in 1837, Surgundo, or the Valiant Christian, a romanist ode of triumph for the victory of Glanrinnes in 1594; and the same year, Minuets and Songs of Thomas, sixth Earl of Kellie. In 1833 he published a volume of etchings, under the title Portraits of an Amateur, and his Etchings, with Photographs from Original Drawings, Poetical and Prose Fragments, appeared posthumously at Edinburgh in 1869. The Letters to and from C.K. Sharpe, edited by Alexander Allardyce, 1888, tend to corroborate the estimate of Scott, that "Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, with his oddities, tastes, satire, and high aristocratic feelings, resembles Horace Walpole — perhaps in his person, perhaps in a general way." Sharpe died unmarried, 17 March 1851. Recognition Two portraits, by John Irvine and Thomas Fraser respectively, are in the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh; the latter was engraved in mezzotint by Thomas Dick in 1851. Publications Poetry and songs *''Metrical Legends, and other poems. Oxford, UK: J. Parker / Longman, Hurst, Rees, & Orme, London, 1807. *''The Wizard Peter: A song of the Solway. Edinburgh: 1834. Non-fiction *''Criminal Trials: Illustrative of the tale entitled "The heart of Mid-Lothian,"; published from the original record''. Edinburgh: A. Constable, 1818. *''A Historical Account of the Belief in Witchcraft in Scotland''. London: Hamilton, Adams / Glasgow : Thomas D. Morison, 1884; Wakefield, UK: SR, 1972; New York: Barnes & Noble, 1972. Art *''Portraits by an Amateur''. Edinburgh: privately published, 1832. *''Etchings''. Edinburgh & London: Blackwood, 1869. Edited *Mary Stuart Erskine, Extracts from the Household Book of Lady Marie Stewart ''. Edinburgh: Caledonian Mercury Press, 1812; 1815. *James Russell, ''Secret and True History of the Church of Scotland. Edinburgh: J. Ballantyne, 1817. *Robert Law, Memorialls; or, The considerable things that fell out within this Island of Great Britain, from 1638 to 1684. Edinburgh: Archibald Constable / London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown / Hurst, Robinson, 1819 1820. *''A Ballad Book; or, Popular and romantic ballads and songs''. (2 volumes), Edinburgh: 1824; Edinburgh: privately published by Edmund Goldsmid, 1891 Volume I, Volume II **(re-edited by David Laing). (1 volume), Edinburgh & London: Blackwood, 1880. *Margaret Cunninghame, A Pairt of the Life of Lady Margaret Cuninghame, Daughter of the Earl of Glencairn. Edinburgh: Ballantyne, 1827. *''Surgundo; or, The valiant Christian: A poem''. Edinburgh: 1837. Letters *''Letters from and to Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe'' (edited by Alexander Allardyce). (2 volumes), Edinburgh: William Blackwood, 1888. Volume II *''The Letters of Sir Walter Scott and Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe to Robert Chambers, 1821-45'' (edited by Charles E.S. Chambers). Edinburgh: W. & R. Chambers, 1904. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Nov. 15, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Nov. 15, 2016. Notes External links ;About *Sir Walter Scott's Friends: Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe at Scotiana *'My Literary Cousin --Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Gentleman Genealogist of "Dull Knights and Forgotten Ladies"' at Literature and Genealogy * Sharpe, Charles Kirkpatrick Category:1781 births Category:1851 deaths Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Scottish poets Category:Poets Category:People from Dumfries and Galloway Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford